Bi-parting doors for track port



BI-PARTING DOORS FOR TRACK PORT Filed Nov. 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR ATTORNEYS July 16, 1963 ODEND'HAL 3,097,842

BI-PARTING DOORS FOR' TRACK PORT Filed Nov. 5, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 QINVENTOR F Ode/ 2d Izal ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,097,842BI-PARTING DOORS FOR TRACK PORT Fortune Odendhal, Hagerstown, Md.,assignor to Jamison Cold Storage Door Company, Hagerstown, Md., acorporation of Maryland Filed Nov. 5, 1957, Ser- No. 694,552 4 Claims.(Cl. 268-14) This invention rel-ates to an improved arrangement ofbi-parting doors for a track port. Such a device is of value inconnection with doors for walk-in cold storage compartments where anoverhead track is provided to carry suspended goods, for example, sidesof meat, through the doorway and into the cold storage compartment.Separate closures can be provided tor the port around the overheadtrack. Reference is made to prior Patents Nos. 2,208,309 and 2,465,650for typical arrangements by which closures on the port are provided foroperation jointly with the main swinging door of the cold storagecompartment.

The present-invention provides an improved facility by which the trolleyfrom which the goods are suspended actuates the doors of the port tomove them out of the path of the trolley as the latter passes over theentrance portion of the track, after which the doors close withoutfurther attention.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide biparting doors forthe track port which normally rest in closed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide means by which the doorsare clamped to the outer wall of the cold storage compartment and thusseal the latter around the port.

A still further object of the invention is to provide improved linkageby which the doors are suspended in place for tree movement into openingposition.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedsuspension 'for the individual doors in the nature of a ballisticpendulum, thus maintaining the doors in suspended position substantiallyvertical during operation.

Among the objects of the invention is the arrangement of the linkage torsuspending the doors so that they diverge slightly toward the bottom andthus increase the clearance around the track for the trolleys.

The invention also has for an object the suspension of the doors from apoint outside the diagonal from the upper inner corner to the outerlower corner so that greater pressure will be applied to seal the upperand outer edges of the doors.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription of the preferred form of the invention as illustrated on theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the bi-parting doors in closed positionover the track port;

FIG. 2 is -a side elevation of the same partly in section on line 2--2of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the particular method ofsealing a door in closed position.

Briefly speaking, the invention consists in providing a pair oflaterally sliding doors which fit over the track port in the wall of thecold storage compartment above the entrance door. Each of the doors issuspended by parallel linkage in a vertical plane slightly forward ofthe front wall of the compartment. The main swinging door is adapted tobring the doors of the port into sealing contact with the compartmentwall during the closing operation of the said main door.

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The pair of doors swing apart by reason of curved tenders or guideswhich are moved by the trolley on the track as it passes through theport.

On the drawings the compartment is indicated as having a front wall '6.A swinging door 7 closes the main doorway in the usual manner. Above themain doorway is a port 8 through which a horizontal trolley track 9passes. This track 9 supports a trolley 10 having a supporting roller11.

A horizontal supporting bracket 12 is attached to the compartment wall 6above the port 8. A pair of sliding doors -13, 14 fit over the port 8and meet vertically in the center in the plane of the track 9. A sealingstrip 15 surrounds the edge of each door 13 and 14- where the latternormally contact each other and the front wall 6. This sealing strip 15is resilient or flexible to insure tightness. The sealing member alsoextends vertically over the contiguous edges of the door so that theport is sealed closely around the track 9.

. Means are provided for suspending each door individually from thebracket 12. Each door has an inner link 16 loosely pivoted at 18 on itsupper end to a depending flange 17 of the bracket 12. The link 16 islikewise loosely pivoted at 19 in the center of the door practicallybelow the pivot 18. A second link 20 is pivoted at 21 on the flange 17outwardly from pivot 18.

The link 20 is substantially parallel with the link 16 and iscorrespondingly pivoted to the door 14 at 22 opposite the pivot 19.However, the link 20 is longer than the link 16 and extends slightlybelow the bottom of the door 14.

The companion door 13 also has an inner link 23 and an outer link 24pivoted loosely to theflange 17 in the manner already described. Thelinks 23 and 24 are likewise pivoted at 25 and 26 respectively to themid-portion of the door 13.

In order to cause the doors to spread open more opposite the track 9than at the top and thus afiord greater clearance for the trolley,several arrangements are possible. Preferably the distance between thepivots 19 and 22 is greater than the distance between pivots 18 and 21.

Similarly the same result is attained by raising outer pivots 22 and 26relatively to inner pivots 19 and 25 or by lowering outer pivots 21, 21on the flange 17 relative to the inner pivots 18, 18.

A tender or guide 27 is mounted on the face of the door 13, preferablyby means of the same bolts 28, 28, which form part of the pivots 25 and26.

The front end of the guide 27 has an outwardly curved end 29 as shown inFIG. 3.

Door 114 is also provided with a guide 30 having an outwardly curved end31 symmetrical to the curved end 29.

It will be readily understood when the trolley or carrier 10 is advancedover the track 9 between the ends 29 and 31, the latter are spread apartand will also separate the doors 13 and 14 to the extent that thetrolley and its roller 11 are permitted to pass through the doorway.

Due to the particular arrangement of the lengths of the links or thepositions of the respective pivots, the inner edges of the door divergein opening so that the greatest separation occurs at the bottom oppositethe track 9.

Similar inner guides 32 and 33 are also provided on the doors 13 and:14. These guides are in contact to a point within the inner plane ofthe doors at which point they diverge. Thus, the doors are operated bythe trolley in its movement both inwardly and outwardly.

FIGURE 1 shows that the separating movement for the doors 13 and 14raises them slightly out of the position occupied when closed. Thusgravity will tend to return the doors to closed position.

However, it may be found desirable to insure the closing movement byproviding a coil spring 34 attached by pins 35 and 36 to links 16 and 23respectively, by which means the bi-parting of the doors by the guides32 and 33 is resisted and the doors brought back into closed position assoon as the trolley has passed.

As will be seen more clearly in FIGURE 2, when the door 7 is open, thelinks 20 and 24 hang vertically as shown in dotted lines with the doors13 and 14 in loose sliding contact or even separated from the wall 6.

The upper edge of the door 7 is provided with a bracket 37 which has aflange 38. This flange comes in contact With the lower ends of the outerlinks 20 and 24- when the door 7 is closed. The operation of closing thedoor 7 bends the lower ends of the links 20 and 24 as shown in fulllines in FIGURE 2 so that the sealing member 15 on the doors are broughtin close contact with the front wall 6.

Thus, the doors 13 and 14 are prevented by the resilient pressure oflinks 20 and 24 from inadvertent separation from the Wall 6 so long asthe door 7 is closed.

The above structure provides an effective and economical apparatus forinsuring closure of the ports along a trolley track. Depending uponopening the main door 7, the doors 13 and 14- are released from thesealing engagement. The trolley 10 may therefore roll between the curvedends 29 and 31 of the guide. This action rocks each door 13 and .14outwardly and upwardly into the position shown by dotted lines in FIGURE1.

After passage of the trolley, the doors 13 and 14 will rock back intoclosed position either by gravity alone or through the added influenceof spring 34.

While the preferred form of this invention has been illustrated anddescribed, numerous changes in materials, forms and minor arrangementsare possible without departing from the invention as defined in theaccompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a door frame having a track port, a main door forthe door frame, a track in the port above the door, a bracket extendingforwardly from the frame above the port, an auxiliary laterally swingingdoor on each side of the track, a pair of substantially parallel pivotallinks suspending each auxiliary door from the front edge of the bracket,the outer link of each pair extending to a point on the bottom of eachauxiliary door, resilient means connecting the inner links of each pair,and a flange on the main door for engaging and deflecting the end ofeach outer link when the auxiliary doors are closed.

2. In combination with a door frame having a track port, a main door forthe door frame, a track in the port above the door, a bracket extendingforwardly from the frame above the port, an auxiliary laterally swingingdoor on each side of the track, a pair of substantially parallel linkspivoted from the front edge of the bracket above each auxiliary door,said links being pivoted to the auxiliary doors, and means on the maindoor for engaging and deflecting certain of the links to press eachclosed auxiliary door against the door frame.

3. In combination, a bracket, two pairs of spaced substantially parallellinks suspended from the front edge of the bracket, a door pivotallysupported from each pair of links, the outer links of each pair havingdepending free ends extended to the bottom of said doors for engagementwith deflecting means.

4. In combination, a bracket, two pairs of spaced inner and outer pivotson the bracket, a laterally swinging door beneath each pair of pivots,inner and outer pivots on each door, said last named inner and outerpivots being more widely spaced apart than are the pivots on thebracket, and links connecting each pivot on the bracket with thecorresponding pivot on the adjacent door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

3. IN COMBINATION A BRACKET, TWO PAIRS OF SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLELLINKS SUSPENDED FROM THE FRONT EDGE OF THE BRACKET, A DOOR PIVOTALLYSUPPORTED FROM EACH PAIR OF LINKS, THE OUTER LINKS OF EACH PAIR HAVINGDEPENDING FREE ENDS EXTENDING TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID DOORS FOR ENGAGEMENTWITH DEFLECTING MEANS.